Motor vehicles may include various braking systems that enable the driver of the vehicle to stop the vehicle by applying pressure to a brake pedal. The brake pedal, for example, is generally connected to the braking system via a pedal arm that transmits the force applied by the driver (i.e., via the pedal) to the braking system. Most contemporary vehicles, which utilize disc braking systems, further include a brake booster that amplifies the braking force provided by the pedal arm.
During construction of a vehicle's brake assembly, the brake booster is generally coupled to the pedal arm via a standard clevis connection, for example, in which a clevis attached to the booster is fit over the pedal arm (i.e., in alignment with a set of bushing holes in the pedal arm), and a clevis pin is inserted to attach the booster to the pedal arm. Although the clevis assembly is intended to guide the brake booster into proper alignment with the pedal arm, there is room for operator error during the construction process, which may result in various misalignments between the booster and pedal arm. Such misassemblies between the booster and pedal arm (which are both critical portions of the vehicle's braking system) may, for example, lead to the malfunction and/or failure of the braking system, which poses a great safety concern, as well as requiring costly repairs to the vehicle.
It may, therefore, be advantageous to provide alignment devices, and brake pedal assemblies and methods incorporating such devices, which prevent misalignment between the pedal arm and brake booster during construction of a vehicle's brake assembly.